Registering device for billiard-tables.



G. G. POLLAY.

REGISTERING DEVICE FOR BILLIARD TABLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27, 1909.

956,599. Patented May 3, 1910.

WA {M20000 GEORGE G. POLLAY,

O'E ITHACA, NEW YORK.

REGISTERING DEVICE FOR BILLIARD-TABLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3, 1910.

Application filed November 27, 1909. Serial No. 530,227.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. POLLAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ithaca, in the county of Tompkins and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Registering Devices for BilliardTables, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved counting and registering device designed for use in playing billiards, pool or similar games to register the score of the players, and it is in the nature of an auxiliary device to be used in connection with the wire having a series of slidable counters which is commonly provided for the purpose of registering the score of the players in such games.

More specifically stated my invention contemplates a scale movable in the direction of its length and in a line parallel with the wire upon which the counters above referred to are held, and arranged adjacent the counters, and which scale will assist the player to readily select the number of counters to be slid along the wire to register a score; and will also indicate at all times the number of counters yet to be moved, and, consequently the score yet to be made to complete the game or to attain a score of a definite number of points corresponding with the whole number of counters upon the wire.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the preferred embodiment of my invention although it will be understood that my in vention may be embodied in various specific material structures; and the embodiment of my invention illustrated is described in the following specification and particularly claimed in the clauses of the concluding claims.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a. view showing my complete device in side elevation, and, Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing certain of the parts enlarged in order to better explain the construction and operation thereof.

In the drawing, 1 represents a horizontally extending wire commonly placed above a billiard or pool table and having a series of slidable counters arranged thereon and by means of which the. score of a player is registered as the game progresses, this being accomplished by sliding counters corresponding with the separate scores made during each play from the left hand end, as shown l l l l in the drawing, of the mass of counters by means of the end of the cue.

The separate counters comprising the series of counters contemplated are designated by the reference character 2. 50 such counters are shown, although it will be un derstood that a greater or less number may be employed. A stop 3 is provided so that the counters may be pushed together and brought into a compact mass, the said stop limiting the movement of the counters toward the right, as shown in the drawing.

1 is a graduated scale located adjacent. and extending parallel with the series of counters 2, the length of the graduations correspond ing with the thickness of the individual counters and the total number of graduations or divisions being preferably, but not necessarily, the same as the total number of counters 2, so that any definite number of divisions upon the scale 1 will indicate a corresponding number of counters 2. The scale 1 is movable in a direction parallel with the wire 1 and counters 2, to which end it is shown as supported upon a second wire 5 extending parallel with the wire 1 in such a way that it may move along said second wire The scale is shown as supported by supports (3, 7 located at either end of the scale 1 and in sliding engagement with the wire 5, and the scale is preferably located below the counters 2 as shown. The stop 3 will preferably be extended so as to engage the wire to thereby keep the wires parallel with one another and at a constant distance apart, and clamps S, 9 engaging both wires will also be provided for the same purpose, one of these, as 8, serving also as an abutment or support for one end of a spring 10, the other end of which is secured at 11 to the right hand end of the scale 1. The spring 10 is under tension and tends to contract and move the scale 4: toward the right. It will be understood that other devices may be substituted for the spring 10 so long as the particular device chosen is one that will at all times tend to move the scale 4 toward the right, as the parts are shown in the drawing.

The left hand end of the scale 1 is pro vided with a projection 12 having a slot or opening 113 through which the wire 5 passes, which projection engages that counter 2 which is at the left hand end of the series of counters; and it will be understood that while the spring 10 is tending to move the scale 4 to the right no such movement can take place because of the stop 3 and the compact mass of counters 2 between said stop and the projection 12. The projection 12 is secured to the end of the scale 4 by means of a pin 14.

Means are provided whereby the projection 12 may yield so that counters may be pushed past it and to the left, and, in the embodiment of my invention illustrated, this function is made possible by providing means whereby the left hand end of the scale 4 and the projection 12 may move slightly down and away from the wire 5, the projection 12, as it yields, moving also the end of the scale 4 with it. The means for permitting the operation above specified is illustrated as comprising a spring member 13 one end of which is secured to the top of the scale 4 at 141 and the free end of which spring is extended so as to engage the wire 5 and form the support 6 for the left hand end of the scale 4 as above explained.

It will be understood from the above disclosure that any score accomplished by a player in a series of plays and which it is desired to register, may be registered by placing the end of the cue between two counters and opposite the division upon the scale 4, as indicated by the numbers thereon, corresponding with the numerical value of the score to be registered, and then pushing the counters toward the left, the spring 13 permitting the scale 4 and projection 12 to move slightly away from the wire 5, or the projection 12 to yield, as above explained as the counters are pushed past said projection. The score to be registered may always be readily read from the scale 4 and a corresponding number of counters selected by simply placing the end of the cue between counters opposite the numeral indicating the score to be registered, and the necessity of counting the counters one by one is thereby avoided. After counters 2 have been pushed past the projection 12 as above explained the spring 10 moves the scale 4 to the right until the projection 12 comes again into contact with the left hand one of the counters 2 remaining in the mass of counters upon the wire 1.

It will be obvious that the operation above explained necessitates some means for preventing the scale 4 from moving bodily with the counters as they are pushed to the left, but which means will not interfere with a free movement of said scale to the right by the contractile force of the spring 10. The drawing illustrates a clutch member for accomplishing this function which clutch member grips the wire 5 when counters are pushed past the projection 12, and is re leased from said wire as the spring 10 moves the scale to the right. The clutch member referred to comprises a link 15 pivoted to the scale 4 at 16. This link is preferably formed from thin metal and then bent or folded so as to provide sides extending upon either side of the scale 4, and said link has a cross-pin 17 extending between the upper ends of the sides and which cross-pin is consequently at the free upper end of the link 15. The pin 17 engages the under side of the wire 5, and means are provided for forcing said cross-pin against the under side of the wire 5 shown as comprising a member 18 secured to and projecting from the upper edge of the scale 4 and having an inclined or cam surface 19 designed to engage the under side of the cross-pin 17. Such being the construction of the clutch member, it will be understood that as counters are pushed against the projection 12 and before it yields as aforesaid the scale 4 will move slightly to the left, which movement will force the projection 18 beneath the crosspin 17 and force said pin against the wire 5, thus preventing further movement of the scale to the right. lVhen, however, the spring 10 begins to move the scale 4 to the right the cross-pin 17 moves down the incline of the projection 18 and away from the wire 5 so as not to interfere with the movement of the scale.

Having thus described my invention and explained the operation thereof, 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination with a wire having a series of slidable counters arranged thereon, and a stop at one end of said series of counters; of a graduated scale disposed adjacent said counters and extending parallel with said wire, and movable in a line parallel with said wire; a projection carried by said scale and adapted to engage the end one of said series of counters which is most remote from the stop aforesaid; means whereby said projection may yield to permit counters to be pushed past it; means for preventing movement of said scale in the direction in which the counters are to be moved and permitting movement thereof in the opposite direction; and means for moving said scale in a direction opposite to that in which said counters are to be moved.

2. The combination with a wire having a series of slidable counters arranged thereon, and a stop at one end of said series of counters; of a second wire located beneath and extending parallel with said first mentioned wire; a graduated scale supported by and movable longitudinally of said second wire, and located beneath said series of counters; a projection. located at one end of said scale and adapted toengage the end one of said series of counters which is most remote from the stop aforesaid; means whereby said projeetion may yield to permit counters to be pushed past it; means for preventing movement of said scale in the direction in which the counters are to be moved and permitting movement thereof in the opposite direction; and means for moving said scale in a direction opposite to that in which said counters are to be moved.

3. The combination with a wire having a series of slidable counters arranged thereon, and a stop at one end of said series of counters; of a second wire located beneath and extending parallel with said first mentioned wire; a graduated scale supported by and movable longitudinally of said'second wire, and located beneath said series of counters; a projection located at one end of said scale and adapted to engage the end one of said series of counters which is most remote from the stop aforesaid; means whereby said projection may yield to permit counters to be pushed past it; a clutch member carried by said scale and adapted to engage said second wire to thereby prevent movement of said scale in the direction in which the counters are to be moved and permitting movement thereof in the opposite direction; and means for moving said scale in a direction opposite to that in which said counters are to be moved.

4-. The combination with a wire having a series of slidable counters arranged thereon, and a stop at one end of said series of counters; of a second wire located beneath and extending parallel with said first mentioned wire; a graduated scale supported by and movable longitudinally of said second wire. and located beneath said series of counters; a projection located at one end of said scale and adapted to engage the end one of said series of counters which is most remote from the stop aforesaid; means whereby the end of said scale upon which said projection is located may yield and move away from said second wire to thereby permit counters to be pushed past it; a clutch member located at the other end of said scale and adapted to engage said first mentioned wire to prevent movement of said scale in the direction in which the 'counters are to be moved, and to permit movement of said scale in the opposite direction; and means for moving said scale in a direction opposite to that in which said counters are to be moved.

5. The combination with a wire having a series of slidable counters arranged thereon, and a stop at one end of said series of counters; of a second wire located beneath and extending parallel with said first mentioned wire; a graduated scale movable longitudinally of said second wire, and located beneath said series of counters; a projection located at one end of said scale and adapted to engage the end one of said series of counters which is most remote from the stop aforesaid; a spring member secured to and located adjacent that end of said scale which is provided with the project-ion as aforesaid, said spring member being in sliding engagement with said first mentioned wire whereby the end of said scale upon which said projection is located is yield-ably supported from said second wire by means of said spring member; a supporting member located at the other end of said scale and being also in sliding engagement with said second wire; a clutch member located adjacent said supporting member and adapted to engage said first mentioned wire to prevent movement of said scale in the direction in which the counters are to be moved, and to permit movement of said scale in the opposite direction; and means for moving said scale in a direction opposite to that in which said counters are to be moved.

6. The combination with a wire having a series of slidable counters arranged thereon, and a stop at one end of said series of counters; of a second wire located beneath and extending parallel with said first mentioned wire; a graduated scale movable longitudinally of said second wire, and located beneath said series of counters; a projection located at one end of said scale and adapted to engage the end one of said series of counters which is most remote from the stop aforesaid; a spring member secured to and located adjacent that end of said scale which is provided with the projection as aforesaid, said spring member being in sliding engagement with said first mentioned wire whereby the end of said scale upon which said projection is located is yieldably supported from said second wire by means of said spring member; a supporting member located at the other end of said scale and being also in sliding engagement with said second wire; means for moving said scale in a direction opposite to that in which said counters are to be moved; and a clutch member comprising a link the lower end of which is pivotally secured to said scale and the free upper end of which is adapted to engage the under side of said second wire, and means whereby the free upper end of said link is forced into contact with the under side of said second wire when said counters are pushed past the projection aforesaid.

7. The combination with a wire having a series of slidable counters arranged thereon, and a stop at one end of said series of counters; of a second wire located beneath and extending parallel with said first mentioned wire; a graduated scale movable longitudinally of said second wire, and located beneath said series of counters; a projection located at one end of said scale and adapted to engage the end one of said series of counters which is most remote from the stop aforesaid; a spring member secured to and located adjacent that end of said scale which is provided with the projection as aforesaid, said spring member being in sliding engagement with said first mentioned wire whereby the end of said scale upon which said projection is located is yieldably supported from said second wire by means of said spring member; a supporting member located at the other end of said scale and be ing also in sliding engagement with said second wire; means for moving said scale in a direction opposite to that in which said counters are to be moved; and a clutch member comprising a link the lower end of which is pivotally secured to said scale and the free upper end of which is adapted to engage the under side of said second wire, and a projecting member carried by said scale and having an inclined surface adapted to engage the free upper end of said link and force it into contact with the under side of said second wire when said counters are pushed past said first mentioned projection. 4

8. The combination with a wire having a series of slidable counters arranged thereon, and a stop at one end of said' series of counters; of a second wire located beneath and extending parallel with said first mentioned wire; a graduated scale supported by and movable longitudinally of said second wire, and located beneath said series of counters; a projection located at one end of said scale and adapted to engage the end one of said series of counters which is most remote from the stop aforesaid; means whereby said projection may yield to permit counters to be pushed past it; means for moving said scale in a direction opposite to that in which said counters are to be moved; and a clutch member comprising a link the lower end of which is pivotally secured to said scale and the free upper end of which is adapted to engage the under side of said second wire, and means whereby the free upper end of said link is forced into contact with the under side of said second wire when said counters are pushed past the projection aforesaid.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE G. POLLAY.

Witnesses VOLENY A. DAVENPORT, FRANK P. BURNS. 

